


waiting

by softkent (SalazarTipton)



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: 3.26 aftermath, Alcohol, Angst, Drabble, bros caring for bros, friends don't let friends cry alone
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-28
Updated: 2017-12-28
Packaged: 2019-02-22 22:12:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13176270
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SalazarTipton/pseuds/softkent
Summary: Kent waits. He’s good at waiting. The years of hiding himself, his attractions, his emotions, his past have all taught him how to bide his time until he can explode in peace. Tonight is not different; he can’t afford it to be different.





	waiting

**Author's Note:**

> just churning out outshots and drabbles to make me feels better about the update and how shitty kent has it. feel free to come cry with me on [tumblr](http://softkent.tumblr.com/).

Kent waits. He’s good at waiting. The years of hiding himself, his attractions, his emotions, his past have all taught him how to bide his time until he can explode in peace. Tonight is now different; he can’t afford it to be different. 

 

He knows Clary’s crowd behind him are making snide comments, like they always have. Thankfully he knows how to ignore them in the moment. Future him can deal with the backlash for all he cares. He just has to get through the rest of this viewing party, drive home, and, yeah. Then he can...do whatever he needs to. 

 

He feels Scraps eyes on him. The guy practically raised Kent when he got to Vegas. An unfortunate side-effect of that relationship is him seeing right through Kent’s various masks. Down the bar, he knows Swoops is standing there keeping an eye on him too. Maybe Kent will have to wait longer than he expected. 

 

The air in the club the Aces rented out for the night is getting thicker the longer he sits there sipping at his drink. The team asshats move along their conversation to the glory days again as Swoops sits down, putting a water in front of Kent’s gin and tonic. 

 

If it were any other night, he’d tell him to fuck off but still take it from him. Instead, Kent ignores him completely. He raises his glass to his lips and downs it in a few gulps. Before setting down the empty tumbler, he nods to the bartender for another. Swoops takes the glass from his hand and forces the water into it. 

 

“Dude, please,” he sighs out. Kent rolls his eyes and downs that too. Though he hates to admits when Swoops is right, Kent definitely can’t afford to have a hangover knowing the media shitstorm that’s going to come tomorrow. 

 

Swoops and Scraps probably think it’s them that convince Kent to leave early with him, but really he’s getting antsy. He wants to be home and alone with his cat to cry and freak out and sleep. Things never go as planned for him, though. 

 

They insist he can’t drive, so Scraps takes them back to Kent’s place. They follow him through the parking structure, into the elevator, and through his front door. All Kent wants is to be alone. What can’t they understand about that?

 

Kent sighs and closes the door behind them all, throwing his keys into the catchall dish and flops down on his couch after making sure Kit wasn’t hiding under the blanket there. When he makes for the TV remote, Swoops dives over the back of the couch and grabs it. 

 

“What the fuck! If you’re gonna follow me home at least let me treat it like my own fucking home!” Kent yells. He didn’t mean to yell. He’s been getting better at that; at least he’s been getting better at biting his tongue and holding it until he’s alone. 

 

“No putting on Sports Center and moping,” Scraps says from the kitchen. He hears the fridge open and knows yet more water is going to be forced upon him. 

 

“Why would I be moping? ‘Cause of the cup? Getting knocked out in the first round gave me plenty of time to come to terms, thank you.”

 

Swoops catches the bottle Scraps throws at him and drops the cold thing on Kent’s exposed neck making him curse. 

 

“You know that’s not what we mean,” Swoops says with gravity, sitting on the arm of the chair as to not disturb Kitt who looks too cute and comfortable there. He rubs her ear as he continues, “Anything involving Zimmermann is bad enough. Him winning the cup  _ and  _ coming out of the closet the way he did, on the other hand? Like hell we’re gonna leave you alone to deal with that.”

 

Scraps comes into Kent’s view with a glass of wine.  _ Great, they’re spending the night. Thanks for asking me, dipshits.  _

 

“By deal with I think we all know we mean opposite.”

 

Kent turns his head to yell into the couch cushion. “Why can’t you fuckers just leave me alone?” He sits up abruptly, unscrewing the lid on his water. “Who gives a fuck if Zimms didn’t bother to even warn me about the hellfire about to rain down on me because of  _ his choices  _ a-fucking-gain, huh? It’s not like I’ve ever meant anything to him so what’s the big deal now?” 

 

He tries to slow down his breathing enough to take a swig, but focusing on it just makes it harder. The tears start bubbling over his lashes in what he hopes is frustration. Swoops and Scraps are both at his sides before the first sob rips out of his chest. 

 

“If I was coming out, I’d have warned him...hell, I would have asked him permission. How fucked is that?” Kent whispers. 

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading! pls lemme know what you think. 
> 
> i'm always up for talking kent and taking prompts over on [tumblr](http://softkent.tumblr.com/) ;)


End file.
